BARR

When you can talk, you can talk. And Brendan Fowler of LA based, BARR, can talk. Or speak, I guess I should say, as in spoken word. But that's become such an unfortunate term, hasn't it? It conjures images of smug linguistic masturbators, or worse, preachy sentimentalists. But Fowler manages to separate himself from these traditions by abandoning any affected cadence or contrived structure and just making you feel like you're out for coffee with an old friend. It helps that the music is so catchy. Nothing complex here. Just a pretty piano riff or driving rhythm to compliment and unify whatever Fowler has on his mind, which is a lot. And while it may seem like he's spewing every last thought in these songs, they're deceivingly economical and well designed. Layered even. I've had him in heavy rotation for months and I'm still catching new things.

Anyhow, here's two of my favorite tracks...

"Untitled" BARR - mp3
"The Song is the Single" BARR - mp3

Buy BARR's second full-length, Summary (amazon)

"Deserter" Matthew Dear

I am really all that I've been looking for...

"Deserter" Matthew Dear - mp3

Buy Asa Breed (amazon) (itunes)

Grandaddy

Well, I'm on another Grandaddy kick. Happens about once a year. It'll pass, but in the meantime. I've been enjoying all their material on youtube. Sure, there's concert footage a'plenty (some big arena shows reminding me that they actually made a play to become a big band with the release of Sumday) but even better are the fan videos floating around. A lot of people know the unofficial Nature Anthem video (now hijacked by Honda Hybrid, whatever) but I find the above piece for Jed's Other Poem (Beautiful Ground) no less impressive.

And since this is an mp3 blog, here's my current favorite...

"Fare Thee Not Well Mutineer" Grandaddy - mp3

Buy a Grandaddy CD. They need the money. (amazon) (itunes)

"Start a War" The National

Over the past few years, The National has become a go-to-sure-thing for me. This is a band for your 30's. Hopeful, but realistic. Emotional, but measured. There's something pure about the songwriting, like the product of a hard day's work. But what keeps me coming back are Matt Beringer's lyrics. At least once a song, in that lazy baritone, he utters something devastatingly honest; an image or idea that transports you to an exact time and place in your life. In this song it's, "You were always weird but I never had to hold you by the edges like I do now." Are you there yet?

"Start a War' The National (mp3)

Buy The National's fourth full length, Boxer (amazon) (itunes)

"Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe" Okkervil River

It’s just a bad movie,
where there’s no crying
Handing the keys to me
in this Red Lion
Where the lock that you locked in the suite says
there’s no prying.
When the breath that you breathed in the street screams
there’s no science.
When you look how you looked then to me,
then I cease lying
And fall into silence.

It’s just a life story,
so there’s no climax.
No more new territory,
so pull away the imax.
In the slot that you sliced through the scene
there was no shyness.
In the plot that you passed through your teeth
there was no pity.
No fade in: film begins on a kid
in the big city.
And no cut to a costly parade
(that’s for him only!)
No dissolve to a sliver of grey
(that’s his new lady!)
where she glows just like grain
on the flickering pane of some great movie.

It’s just a house burning,
but it’s not haunted.
It was your heart hurting,
but not for too long, kid.
In the socket you spin from with ease
there is no sticking.
From the speakers your fake masterpiece
comes serenely dribbling.
When the air around your chair fills with heat,
that’s the flames licking
Beneath the clock on the clean mantelpiece.
It’s got a calm clicking,
Like a pro at his editing suite takes two weeks
stitching up some bad movie.

"Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe" Okkervil River - mp3

Buy The Stage Names (amazon) (itunes)

"Hummingbird" Born Ruffians

Thanks to Jessica for reminding me that I have a music blog and should probably write something in it.

K, I'm gonna start slow...

I saw these Tarana kids in Portland last weekend (I have this bizarre habit of seeing Canadian bands whenever I'm in US. I don't consciously seek them out. They just seem to be the best show that weekend. They inevitably talk about being Canadian too. Dunno if this is just the shows I'm at or if they do this everywhere. At any rate, it seems to entertain the band more than the crowd. Though the Portlanders seemed genuinely engaged when Cadence Weapon riffed on being from Edmonton. Maybe they were just trying to figure out where the hell Edmonton was.) and they were really very good. Crispy. Fast. Tight. Can I say Violent Femmey? I just did.

Oh, and they're on Warp Records, which is always a good thing.

Here's their first single...

"Hummingbird" Born Ruffians - mp3

Buy the full length, Red, Yellow and Blue (amazon) (itunes)